Centrifugal switch



am; 21, 1931. y @E SMWH. v1,190,330

CENTRIFUGAL SWITCH Filed Deo. 15, 192e Patented Jani 27, `1931 UNITEDSTATES GLENN' E. SMITH, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA CENTRIFUGAL SWITCHApplication le Decemberl, 1926. Serial No. 154,897.

My invention relates to speed warning devices designed for the purposeofindicating to the driver of a motor car when he has reached a certainspeed, a warning sound being made by the device when such speed isreached. It is quite common for a driver to be absorbed in thought or tohave his attention on other things and to be driving faster and fasterwithout being conscious of the fact. It is the main purpose of myinvention to provide a simple, practical and eflicient device which willautomatically indicate by an audible sound when a given or predetenmined speed has been reached so that the driver may be 4warned and willgovern himself or herself accordingly.

Among other objects of my invention are: to provide a devicewhich can besold as an accessory and which canbe quickly attached to a car withoutexpensive adjustments or reconstructions; to provide a device which canbe `coupled into the fiexible drive shaft of the speedometer withoutcutting the same or interfering with `the efiiciency of the speedometer;to provide a device which can be easily set for various speeds at whichthe warning sound will be given; to provide a device which will cease togive the warning sound after the predetermined speed has been reachedand exceeded and, in general,

to provide an economical. device which can be adjusted `to any desiredspeed limit at which the warning is sounded and which automaticallyoperates to draw the attention of *5 the driver to that fact.

In order to fully explain my invention, I have shown one practicalembodiment thereof on the accompanying sheet of drawings, which I Willnow describe.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of an instrument board of an automobile,with my invention shown in enlarged form, in section, to show theconstruction and arrangement 5 theeof and the connection of the driveshaft; I an Figure 2 is a detail view showing the adjusting mechanism onthe side of the case 'of the device.

Referring now in detail to the drawings,

0 my invention as here shown for illustrative purposes, comprises a caseor housing, 1, with removable cover, 2, a shaft 3, therein, withbearings 4, at its upper end, in said cover, 2, with coupling, 5, forcoupling said shaft, 3, to the shaft, 6, of a speedometer, designated,6', and indicated in light broken lines in an instrument board, 7, alsoindicated in light broken lines.

On the shaft 3, within said casing, 1, is a governor, designated as awhole, 8, of well known construction, but provided with a coiled spring,9, on said shaft, 3, the lower end of which spring bears on the collar,10, or' said governor, and the upper end of which spring bears againstan adjustable collar, 11, adapted to be secured to the shaft 3, indiii'erent positions thereon for the purpose of regulating the tensionof said spring, 9, and thus determining the expansion movement of saidgovernor as it is driven by said shaft, 3. The lower end of saidgovernor is provided with a conical or tapering member or part, 12,which moves along said shaft 3, as said governor expands and contracts,as will be understood from the-drawings. The lower end of the shaft 3,is provided with a bearing, 13, in' the lower end of the casing, 1, saidshaft terminating in a square end3, for connection with a iiexibleshaft, designated, 14, and representing the usual speedometer driveshaft. In the present construction, the short shaft, 3, within the case,1, is interposed into said speedometer shaft, 14, said speedometer shaftsimply being pushed down suiiciently to receive the case and the shaft 3therein. The lcase is held in place by means. of a coupling member, ornurled collar, 15.

Mounted through a slot, 16, in the side of the case, 1, isa` sleeve, 17,on a face plate, 18, and through which face plate and sleeve is aplunger rod or contact member, 19, the inner end of which extends intothe path of movement of the movable part, 12, so as to be engagedlthereby` and moved as said moyable part ,or member 12, moves up on saldshaft 3, as will beclear. The outer end of said rod or plunger, 19, isprovided with a head or contact end, 20, adapted to engage and move aspring contact, 21, and move it into engagement With another contactmember, 22, to which is connected a circuit Wire, 23, leading to abuzzer, or signal device, 24, the oppos1te side of which is connected byy circuit line 25, to the ammeter, designated 26,

in light lines on the instrument board, and thus completing a circuit tothe ground.

The face plate, 18, is adjustable on the side of the case, 1, to movethe plunger arm up or down, and is secured in adjusted positions bymeans of thumb screws, as 27. Said face plate is preferably beveled, asat 18, and can be provided with graduations, as 28, for indicatingvarious speeds to which it can be set, so that Whenthe motor car isdriven at a speed which moves the governor sufficiently to move theplunger rod 19, it will cause the operation of the signal device, inthis c'ase being buzzer, 24.

Thus have provided a very simple and accurate speed Warning deviceincluding Within a case a revolving shaft with governor and a movablepart operated by said governor with a signal operating element adaptedto be engaged and moved by said part to cause the operation of thesignal when a predetermined speed is reached, as

indicated by said governor, and While l have shown and described onepractical embodiment of my invention, l am aware that changes in thedetails of construction and arrangement can be made Without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, and l do not, therefore, limit myinvention to the showing made for illustrative purposes eX- cept as lmay be limitedby the hereto appended claims.

1 claim:

ln a speed Warning'device of the character described havinga housing, arevolving governor therein with a supporting and drive shaft thereforand circuit contact elements on said housing, the combination therewithof a circuit breaker including a conical member on said drive shaft andmovable by said governor longitudinally on said drive shaft, a rodsupported at right angles to said drive shaft and extended into the pathof a part of said conical member with its other end adapted to actuatesaid contact elements, means for adjusting said rod and contact elementstogether on said housing to move said rod laterally to dierent.positions relative to said conical member, said governor being adapted'to move said conical member to engage and move said rod longitudinallyto actuate said Contact elements.V

Signed at Pasadena, Los Angeles county, California, this 7th dav ofDecember, 1926.

GLENN E. SMITH.

